Improvement in bee-hives



R. GI-PSUN.

Bee Hive*I Patented May 31, 1864.

fvwm-0r M JM UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

REUBEN GIPSON, OF SHELBY, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,995, dated May 31, 1864.

To all whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN GirsoN, ot' Shelby, in the county of Richland Vand State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bee-Hives; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is aperspective view, and Fig 2 is a transverse vertical section.

Like letters refer to like parts in the dierent views.

My invention relates to the inclined bottom board, to hanging' the comb-frames tothe door, to the corrugated line for the attachment oi the comb, and to the construction of the hinge for the door.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the ends of the body of the hive. The upper section, A', forms the chamber for the honey-boxes B. This is inelosed upon the back side of the hive by a sliding` door, O, supported upon the upper edge by a groove in the under side of the cover D. The lower edge of the sliding door O is supported upon the bar F, that connects the back edge of the two end pieces, A. Another sliding door is shown at F. The upper edge of this runs in a groove in the under edge of the bar E. The lower edge of the sliding door F runs in a groove in the upper edge of the bottom board, G, that forms the back of the lower portion of the hive. The sliding door O opens into the chamber A, containing the honeyboxes, and the door F opens into the section that contains the comb-frames, hereinafter to be described. rlhe opening into the. main body ofthe hive from the front is shown at H. This is hung to the end piece, A, 'by long hinges, as shown in Fig. 1, for purposes hereinafter described. The bottom board of the hive is shown at l. This is inclined upward and backward at an angle of about thirty-tive degrees, as shown in Fig. 2, so that any sub stance that falls upon it may be easily displaced by the movement of the bees in entering and leaving the hive. The passage for this purpose is just below the door, there being a sufficient amount of space between the bottom of the door and the upper side of the bottom board for this purpose. The combframes, one of which is represented at J in Fig. 2, have their lower bar, c, placed at an angle that corresponds to that ofthe bottom board, I. The forward lower angle is therefore acute, and the back lower angle obtuse. The back bar, b, of the comb frame is consequently shorter than the front one. The upper angles of the frame J are both right angles. The front bar of each frame is provided, both at the top and bottom, with staples or eyes K, Fig. 2, each of which forms one section of a hinge by which the frames are attached to the inside ofthe door H. The other part of the hinge is shown at L in Fig. 2, and consists of a round rod or wire, the lower end of which is bent at right angles and is driven into the inside of the door, leaving the opposite cud upward, as shown in the ligure. Vhen the door is thrown wide open, in consequence of the peculiar form of the hinges M, the combframes, which are hung upon the inside of the door at regular intervals, and exceeding in distance the thickness of the comb abouta quarter of au inch, are thrown entirely out of the body of the hive. That part of each hinge that is attached to the end piece, A, is curved outward two or three inches. 'lhat part attached to the door is cur\ el backward, and is so extended as to meet the other section, where the two parts join, as shown inthe ligure. By

this means the door, when opened, swings entirely clear from the body of the hive, bringing with it the coinlrtrames, as above described. door upon the inside at such distances apart as to allow room for. the construction of the comb and the free passage of the becs between them, are kept paraliel with each other by stop-blocks c, placed at and secured to the upper back corners, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper bar, d, of the comb-frames has its under side .corrugated in the form of a cross-section of a honeycomb, as shown at c, the object of which is to induce the bees to build their comb from the center line of this eorrugation, for I have demonstrated by actual experiment that bees will take advantage of this corrugation and build their combs therefrom, when it conforms in shape and size to the natural comb, and continue their work accordingly. In consequence of this feature the comb frames will never become united by having the combs extend from one fra-me to another.

Therefore The comb-frames, being hung to the a y one frame can be removed at anytime, Whether during the Working-season or thereafter, and another introduced, and thus empty combs can be removed and full ones introduced when the bees need feed; or, dining' the Working-season, a full one can be removed and an empty one put in its place. The combs and frames ean also be cleaned at any time, should they need it, for greater security against moths.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The eorrugations e in their specific form and relation, when situated upon the under side of the upper bar of the comb-frames, for the purpose specified.

2. The special arrangement of the adjustable comb-frames, provided with the corrugated upper bar, as described, and corresponding with the inclined bottom, in connection with the door, hinged as described, when used eonjontly, as and for the purpose set forth.

REUBEN GIPSON.

vitnesses:

W. BURRIDGE, I. HOLMES. 

